Releases

bauhaus - in the flat field- Bronze Vinyl LP in stores Oct 26

26 October 2018

Late 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus. To celebrate, Beggars Arkive is reissuing records
from the band’s catalog on limited edition coloured vinyl.
In The Flat Field is the band’s debut studio album, released by 4AD and considered to be one of the
very first “goth” albums. This was mastered from HD audio files transferred from the original tapes and is
pressed on Bronze vinyl.
Formed in 1978, The legendary and hugely influential quartet hailed from Northampton, England and is
comprised of Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins. The dark, dramatic music that they
made, possessed far more force, variety and playfulness than the “founding fathers of goth” tag that is
always attached to them.
Bauhaus’ landmark debut album, In the Flat Field, came out towards the end of 4AD’s first eventful
year. Following the plan at the time, the band then “moved upstairs” to Beggars Banquet, for whom they
cut three further albums before dissolving in 1983. They charted with their cover of David Bowie’s “Ziggy
Stardust”, and they’ve been name checked by everyone from Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura, Janes Addiction,MGMT, Interpol, Bjork, Nirvana and more. They remain a huge cult concern, periodically reforming to
wow their legions of dedicated followers.

“This record’s influence on the impending goth scene cannot be underestimated or denied.”– Drowned In
Sound

“One of the strangest and most powerful albums… It has no boundaries on it’s influences and musical
diversity.” – Sputnik Music

“In the Flat Field consists of twisted, glam-inspired post-punk raveups, seldom straightforward but mostly
accessible and infectiously melodic. Bauhaus were all about a visceral experience, and in the spastic no
wave jam “Dive,” that’s exactly what the listener got.” – Treble Zine

Few debut albums ever arrived so nearly perfectly formed; that In the Flat Field practically singlehandedly
invented what remains for many as the stereotype of goth music — wracked, at times spindly
vocals about despair and desolation of many kinds, sung over mysterious and moody music —
demonstrates the sui generis power of both the band and its work. This said, perhaps the best thing
about the album isn’t what it’s supposed to sound like, but what it actually does — an awesomely
powerful, glam-inspired rock band firing on all fours, capable of restraint and complete overdrive both,
fronted by a charismatic, storming frontman. Starting with the challenging angst of “Double Dare,” with
shattering guitar over a curious but fierce stop-start rhythm while Murphy rages ever more strongly over
the top, In the Flat Field contains a wide variety of inspirations and ideas. The astonishingly precise
rhythm section of David J and Haskins pulls off a variety of jaw-dropping performances, including the
high-paced tension of the title track and the brooding crawl from “Spy in the Cab.” Ash, much like his
longtime hero Mick Ronson, turns out to be a master of turning relatively simple guitar parts into
apocalyptic explosions, from the background fills on “St.Vitus Dance” to the brutal descending chords of
“Stigmata Martyr.” Murphy, meanwhile, channels as much Iggy Pop as he does Bowie, proving to be no
simple copyist of either, able to both maniacally sing-shout and take a somewhat lighter touch
throughout. Concluding with the seven-minute “Nerves,” an aptly titled piece that alternates between
understated energy and unleashed power toward a dramatic ending, In the Flat Field started off Bauhaus’
album career with a near-perfect bang. Ned Raggett – All Music Guide